Hello. I am trying to output a wmv file of the footage I have rotobrushed as a tester and I am noticing that the wmv plays back very jumpy. I duplicated my comp and changed the frame rate back down to 29.97 from 59.97 and made another wmv that is less jumpy but still is not playing back like it should.

Are there some settings that I am neglecting to change in my output settings?

Are you compressing the video? Jumpy playback is usually a data rate problem. The default output module settings are lossless. That kind of file won't playback smoothly unless you've got an incredibly powerful system with a very fast drive array.

Is it possible to output a wmv (for client to review) from an After Effects project that has rotobrush work without it having jumpy play back or should I just output a high res file to bring into premier and output through premier?

You can render out of AE to any convenient codec. Ofr approvals, the smaller the better, just enough to give your client the detail necessary.

Then you take that movie to Adobe Media Encoder or Apple Compressor or Sorensen Squeeze or Microsoft Encoder and transcode to a codec that is portable and playable. If that's WMV for your client, try to use a preset. If you have to create a custom setting for the encoder app, be sure to save it. Some apps will let you create droplets. Very convenient.

Is it possible to output a wmv (for client to review) from an After Effects project that has rotobrush work without it having jumpy play back

It's perfectly possible. We do it all the time, but somehow you are still evading to face the underlying issues. Smooth playback is dependent on a lot of factors one of which is data rates to which Dave you pointed, framerate mismatches I was hinting at, another drive speed and yet anotehr graphics hardware acceleration in Windows Media player and any alternate media players. So whatever you do, it requires a methodical approach to figure out where things go wrong. Just switching to anotehr CoDec format or encoding in another app is probably not going to solve your issues. And not to ruin your day, but even if you can manage to get smooth playback on your machine, it doesn't mean your client will. They could have old, poorly maintained machines or on teh otehr hand stylish, but underpowered netbooks and then even the smallest clips from YouTube may not at all play smoothly, much less a full HD clip. Again, consider the whole chain, not just parts of it.

...I will probably just out put an AVI from AE then through Adobe Media Encoder I will make the smaller WMV.... Any thoughts on if there will be a large amount of jumpiness?

That all depends on the playback machine. Not on the codec or the render or the transcode.

We work with online reviews. I use tiny WMVs, i/4 rez/ 1/2 size. That frustrates the heck out of clients but it accomplishes two things for me: 1) playback will be superbly smooth, 2) forces the client to get off their butt and come to my lab to actually view the real thing and talk to me and point at the screen and make notes on the script.

Allowing approvals and reviews from WMVs is a bad habit. Often anuavoidable but it stifles interactivity with creative people.

Thanks for the information. I am just now getting involved with AE (sadly so!). I have been working with Premier for many years and Codecs are not new to me. I have only just hit this little speed bump with a project running at 59 fps (because of rotobrush work).

I am use to clients having the oldest machines possible and having to explain to them that fact.

What experience do you have, if any, when trying to output a simple "preview" clip from an AE comp that has a 59 fps?

I will do the usual trial and error.

Side note: Coming straight from AE with an flv codec looks great and playback is normal. I just have to send the guy an wmv. I already anticipate some playback issues.